Sole-cutting machine



(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

M. E. KNIGHT.

SOLE CUTTING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 16, 1890. 9/!

WITNESSES "m we ms PETERS cu, we w (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. E. KNIGHT.

SOLE CUTTING MACHINE. No. 486,358. P a aented Sept. 16, 1890. I

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jZ Watented Sept. 16, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFEIcE.

MARGARET E. KNIGHT, OF SOUTH FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

SOLE-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,358, datedSeptember 16, 1890.

Application filed November 16, 1889- Serial No. 330,567. No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARGARET E. KNIGHT, of South Framingham, in thecounty of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Machine for Cutting India-Rubber and other Soles for Boots orShoes, of which the following is a specifica- This machine isparticularly adapted for cutting india-rubber soles from asuitablyprepared strip or sheet of rubber for use upon boots or shoes ofall kinds. In this machine the sheet of rubber or other material fromwhich the soles are to be cut is supported upon an endless apron orbelt, which consists of a series of tablets or beds flexibly connectedtogether and intermittently moves horizontally beneath a pattern andcutting device, which have a vertical reciprocating movement andintermittently descend, clamp the material upon the apron, and cut out acomplete sole upon each of the tablets or beds while it is at rest. Theapron also carries the completed soles and the waste out of the machine,Where they can be removed as desired.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of referenceindicate like parts, Figure l is a front elevation of my machine. Fig. 2is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section. Fig.2 is a sectional detail of a portion of the divided foot belowdescribed. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the knife and its holder andcarrier. Fig. 3 is an end view of the knife-bar with the knife. Fig. 4is a plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe same.

i Fig. 6 is a detail of the feeding mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 8 is a detail plan of themechanism by means of which power is transmitted to the knife. Fig. 9 isa vertical section on line 00 In, Fig.8. Fig. 10 is a sectional detailof the pattern and strip of material thereunder.

The frame of the machine consists substantially of the column A,provided with an ordinary base A, constructed of suitable size, shape,and weight to support properly the operating mechanism of the machine.Rigidly secured to or integral with this frame or column is a horizontalinternally-grooved supporting bar or guide B, Figs. 1, 2, and 7,

which, by means of suitable cross-pieces B, supports a similar parallelgrooved bar or guide B. These guide-bars are provided at their oppositeends with brackets b, which support and form bearings for the rolls C,made rectangular or polygonal in cross-section, which in turn support anendless apron or belt consisting of a series of fiat tablets or supports0, connected together by pivots or by links 0, substantially as shown.These tablets may be constructed of any suitable material, but arepreferably of metal, and I have found it advantageous to cover theirupper sides or working-surfaces c with glass or analogous materialcemented or otherwise secured thereto. It is found in practice that theemployment of a glass surface in the manner above mentioned provides aneXceedingly smooth and hard bed and one having peculiar adhesivequalities in connection with the rubber strip which is fed in on theapron.

The apron is moved forward intermittently between the guide-bars B B,and with its edges in the grooves thereof, by means of a pawl D, whichengages lugs G on the under sides of the tablets C, said pawl beingpivotally secured at B to the upper end of a lever E, the lower end ofwhich is pivoted at E to the frame of the machine. This pawl is held upto its work by means of a spring D. The upper end of the lever E isvibrated by means of a roller secured-thereto and engaged by thecam-groove F in the cam F which is fast on the shaft F, supported by theframe. the gear-wheel G, actuated by a pinion G, fast on the shaft G,which supports pulleys G through which power is applied to the machine.

On the rear side of the gear G is a camgroove g, (the shape of which isshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) which engages a roll on the lower endof the connecting bar or link g. The upper end of this bar is pivotallysecured to the lever g, which is fulcrumed at ato the frame. To theopposite end of this lever g is pivotally secured a reciprocating rodhaving its lower portion H cylindrical and its upper portion H square orotherwise rectilinear, so as to prevent any rotation as it reciprocatesvertically in the portion A of the frame.

To this shaft F is also secured I is a pulley, to which motion isimparted by means of the belt I, said pulley being fast on the sleeve1'', (see Fig. 0,) which is loose on the cylindrical portion of the rodor shaft 5 H. This sleeve 1 is supported by a collar H, secured on theshaft H, and is provided at itslower end with a gear-wheel 1, engagingthe gear J, which is supported by means of the stud J in the disk J,which is loose on said sleeve. This gear J engages a gear K on the shaftK, also supported by the disk J, and said gear K engages the gear K onthe shaft K. This shaft K is supported centrally in the arm L, whichswings on the 1; stud K.

Z is a gear-wheel fast on the lower end of the shaft K and engages agear Z, loose on the shaft L, which is rigidly secured in the outerendof the arm L. Z is another gear, also loose on the shaft L, and is keyedto the gear Z and engages with a rack or stationary gear M, keyed to aform M, the hub M of which is rigidly secured to the rod or shaft H.This rack and form are similar in shape and 2 5 approximately the sameas that of the pattern below described.

Rigidly secured to the under side of the form M is a pattern-supportconsisting of the plate N and legs or posts N. (See Figs. 2 and 0 2These posts are hollow, slotted at N,

and surrounded by the springs N O is the pattern, of the exact shape ofthe sole or other article to be cut, and is provided with stems 0,extending up into the tubular posts 3 5 N, and are provided with pins 0,which project through the slots therein and limit the relative motion ofthe stems and posts By removing the pins 0 patterns of differ-' ent sizemay be readily interchanged. 40. S is the rubber sheet clamped in themachine ready to be cut to form the sole.

The shaft L has pivoted at its lower end a knife-carrier L, as shown inFigs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, and this carrier is provided with a slot L ofrectilinear or other form in cross-section,

which is not circular, in which moves horizontally the knife-bar P,carrying the knife P, which is set at the desired angle and has itscutting-edge beveled, as shown in Fig. 3, to produce a drawing out inits operation. Furthermore, the carrier L is provided withfriction-rolls R, which bear against the periphery of the form M as theknife travels around the pattern in the operation of cut- 5 5 ting outthe sole.

T is a spring having one end secured to the knife-bar P and the otherend to the carrier L, whereby the knife is held up to its work againstthe edge of the pattern, and T is a spring the opposite endsof which arerespectively secured to the shaft L and to a pin projecting from thedisk J. A nut it 'upon the lower end of the shaft L holds the carrier Lthereon, the nut being applied 65 through an opening q in the bottom ofthe carrier, Fig. 5.

It will readily be seen that the motion pattern. By means of the cam onthe face of the gear-Wheel G the rod g and lever g raise and lower thepattern and cutting mechanism, so that as the apron is fed along by thepawl 'D each tablet or bed 0 will be brought under the pattern andcutting mechanism and will be at rest while the pattern is down and theknife is in operation. One sole, therefore, will be cut out on eachtablet. After the soles are cut out the apron carries the soles and thewaste out of the machine, where they maybe removed in any practicalmanner. While the sole is being cut the pattern is held tightly downupon the material, clamping it in every part by means of the springsbetween it and the form.

The shape of an india-rubber strip or sheet in cross-section is shown inFig. 10, the heel and sole portions being made thicker than the shankportion. To accommodate this difference in thickness of the sheet thepattern upon its lower side is formed in planes, which are thecounterpart of the upper surface of the sheet, U being the heel portion,U the sole portion, and U the shank: portion. This construction isrequisite when cutting rubber sheets of varying thickness, in order,that thesheet may be held firmly at all points against the action of theknife.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y 1. In asole-cutting machine, the combine-=- tion of a lower stock-support, anintermittently vertically-moving upper pattern which automaticallyclamps the stock thereon dur ing the cutting operation, a knife-carriersustained above the pattern and held in juxtaposition thereto by aspring, a knife which has an automatic adjustment radial to the curvesof the pattern and independent of its carrier, and a train of gearsthrough which motion is given to the knife-carrier, whereby it is revolved around the pattern and the knife is adapted to follow the contourof the periphery thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a sole-cutting machine having a support for the material to becut, the combination of a knife adapted to movein a path correspondingto the outline of a shoe-sole and which has an automatic adjustmentradial to the curves of its path and independent of its carrier, and anintermittently vertically-moving clamping-pattern sustained by yieldingconnections attached thereto at points out of its shank portion, wherebythe knife will be unobstructed in the operation of cutting the shankportion and the pressure upon the stock will be equalized throughout itssurface during the cutting operation, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for cutting boot or shoe soles, the combination of asupport for the material to be cut, a vertieallyqnovin g pattern whichdetermines the path of the out of the knife and intermittentlyclamps thematerial upon the support, a knife automatically adjustable withrelation to the periphery of the pattern, a pivoted knife-carriersupported upon a spring-controlled arm which carries the mechanism forcommul'iicating motion to a pinion upon the carrier-pivot, an independent rack which guides and causes the pinion to travel around itsperiphery, and a form to guide the knife-carrier, substantially asdescribed.

at. In a machine for cutting articles according to a desired pattern andfrom sheet material, the combination of ahorizontallyunoving support forsustaining and intermittently feeding the material, a vertically-movingpattern for clamping the material thereon While it is being cut, and aknife Which is moved automatically around the pattern and has a radialadjustment with relation to the curves thereof, substantial] y asdescribed.

5. In a machine for cutting articles by pattern from sheet material,having a knife adapted to move automatically around the pattern, anintermittently vertically-moving clamping-pattern in combination with astock-sup port consisting of a series of tablets flexibly joinedtogether in an endless belt, and a cam and lever to intermittently movethe tablets beneath the clampingpattern, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for cutting articles by pattern from sheetmaterial,havinga knife adapted to move in a path corresponding to theoutline of the pattern, the combination of .a stocksupporting table, acam and lever to intermittently move it beneath the pattern, a patternwhich intermittently clamps the material upon the table, and acamconnected With the pattern-support by intermediate levers to give itreciprocating vertical movement,substantialiy as described.

MARGARET E. KNIGHT.

Witnesses:

L. J. BELLEFLEUR, EDWARD G. FITZGERALD.

